By Sam Borsato - @BorsatoSam on Twitter

Historic Nursing Display Visits Lethbridge in Alberta-Wide Tour

May 13, 2016 | 3:33 PM

LETHBRIDGE – As Nursing Week draws to a close, a special nursing history display made its way to Chinook Regional Hospital.

The College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA) is a regulatory body that makes sure educational and professional nursing standards are met across the province. It’s also an association which promotes and advances nursing for excellent public service.

A mobile display of nursing artifacts and other interactive displays was setup to celebrate the organization’s 100th anniversary.

CARNA President, Shannon Spenceley, explained that the term Registered Nurse came about roughly 100 years ago, after a group of nurses thought the practice should meet regular standards to serve the public better, and still continues to be well recognized in healthcare.

One of the famous names in nursing from the Lethbridge area that Spenceley mentioned was Mildred Dobbs. She said Dobbs stayed with her patients in quarantine, and had infection control “down to a science” by the very early 1900s.

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However, Spenceley also made sure to recognize the many nurses today, like Chinook Regional Hospital’s Critical Care and Emergency Director Diane Shanks who recently won the prestigious “Friends of Health Sciences” award from the University of Lethbridge, who continue to add to the profession’s success.

“There’s almost 38,000 [nurses and nurse practitioners] in Alberta, and we’re everywhere! We’re in hospitals, home care, public health and education,” noted Spenceley. “Nursing’s history, in many ways, is Alberta’s history, in good times and bad times, and we’re with you every step of the way.”

The display is visiting 32 hospitals across Alberta between now and mid-August. You can visit CARNA’s 100th anniversary website, to view the exhibit and find a list of all the stops.

by Sam Borsato - @BorsatoSam on Twitter

Historic Nursing Display Visits Lethbridge in Alberta-Wide Tour

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